October 7: Tinker Creek Greenway from Plantation Road to Carvins Cove. 4.8 miles
The reservoir was at full pond on this fine fall day along a relatively new trail in Roanoke’s ever-burgeoning bounty.
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October 7, along the Tinker Creek Greenway toward Carvins Cove, Gail took a series of mushroom shots.
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October 7, along the Tinker Creek Greenway toward Carvins Cove, Gail took a series of mushroom shots.
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Gail Rheinheimer
October 7, along the Tinker Creek Greenway toward Carvins Cove, Gail took a series of mushroom shots.
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Gail Rheinheimer
October 7, along the Tinker Creek Greenway toward Carvins Cove, Gail took a series of mushroom shots.
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Gail Rheinheimer
October 7, along the Tinker Creek Greenway toward Carvins Cove, Gail took a series of mushroom shots.
October 14: Apple Orchard Falls Trail to falls and back. 4.0 miles
We used the excuse of the occasion of the dog’s first walk after the heat of summer for going only to the falls and back for the first time ever (instead of over the top via forest road or AT and back down the Cornelius Creel Trail).
October 20: Home via Roanoke River Greenway to Rivers Edge and then downtown and back to Rivers Edge and home. 8.2 miles
With one grandson’s soccer game at 10 a.m. and another’s at 2 p.m., what better use of a Saturday than to walk the greenway to the first, walk downtown for a fine lunch and then back for the second, before walking back home. Two wins and Tuco’s tacos rounded out the what-better-use nicely.
October 28: From 15th and Constitution to National Mall and back 8 miles.
On a nifty trip to D.C. and Northern Virginia (Trevor Noah live one night and Fred Eaglesmith the next), we got in a good bit of walking. Fred Eaglesmith talked at one point about his wife/singing partner/multi-instrumentailist Tif Ginn having gone recently to visit the agin and failing Ian Tyson, of long-age Ian & Sylvia fame. Fred talked of their deep admiration for Ian Tyson as a songwriter and then announced that Tif was going to sing the first song she ever learned to play. Her strong, straightforward delivery of “Someday Soon” had at least one guy bawlin'.
November 3: Appalachian Trail-Old Hotel Trail loop. 5.7 miles
Who knew? In a spot that we sometimes have nearly to ourselves, the two little parking areas were full, and cars were all along the forest road, with little bands of people and the occasional underdressed skinny guy passing us by as we worked to find a place to park. But part of our route was also the route of the 50-mile Mountain Masochist trail run on this day, which explained both the spectators and the skinny guys. A great walk as always, with a fine lunch on the bald of Cold Mountain.
November 4: “Hey” Rock via AT and back. 4.8 miles
On a beautiful fall day, only about a mile in, we crossed long-ago Blue Ridge Country art director Amber, along with her boyfriend, who told tales of their recent trip to some of the 14ers of Colorado, which rendered the little worn -down Virginia mountains not much o nothin’.
November 10: Home to downtown and back. 6 miles
On the occasion of our oldest son turning 40 and the resulting surprise party (yeah, right) in downtown Roanoke, we walked on down. And walked on back accompanied by another son—the first hike with another family member in awhile now.
November 18: Andy Layne and Appalachian Trail to Tinker Cliffs and back. 7.8 miles
On the day after ice at higher elevations and rain at lower ones, we slopped through a lot of mud until Scorched Earth Gap, and then scrambled over fallen trees for that longest-half-mile-there-is to the formation. The impediments slowed us down enough that we raced the darkness back down the mountain.
November 25: Roanoke River Greenway from home to Wasena Tap Room and back. 4 miles
On a holiday weekend full of family, we finally got out for a short urban hike on Sunday evening.